Winners and Losers From Jaguars' Hall of Fame Game Loss to Raiders

Which Jaguars stood out for positive reasons on Thursday night and which struggled throughout the game?

The Jacksonville Jaguars helped jumpstart the 2022 season on Thursday night, losing 27-11 to the Las Vegas Raiders in the annual Hall of Fame game. And while the Jaguars didn't win in head coach Doug Pederson's preseason debut, there was still some good to take away.

On the flip side, there were also some issues as the Jaguars sat over 20 players, including 15 starters. Who looked ready to play and who may need more seasoning during training camp? We break it down below.

Winners

OLB Travon Walker 

The No. 1 overall pick had a preseason debut that felt reminiscent of Josh Allen's dominant preseason debut against the Miami Dolphins in 2019. Travon Walker had impressed throughout training camp with his combination of power, size and athleticism, but he put it on display in a way on Thursday we had not seen previously. 

Most importantly, Walker looked comfortable rushing from a two-point stance. He recorded three pressures, a sack and a quarterback hit as he frequently gave Raiders veteran left tackle Brandon Parker issues thanks to a flurry of moves, including an inside swim and a long-arm rush. Walker looked the part and some on Thursday.

LB Grant Morgan 

On a night where the Jaguars saw several linebackers struggle and fail to make plays, undrafted rookie free agent linebacker Grant Morgan stood out. Morgan recorded a sack late in the game on a well-timed blitz and also did a good job of knocking back linemen and not overrunning plays against the run. Morgan's smarts and big-hitting ability stood out in a big way.

TE Luke Farrell 

Luke Farrell got plenty of chances to make an impact on Thursday with several tight ends sitting out. He made sure to take advantage, too, catching three passes for a team-leading 43 yards, including a big 27-yard gain. Farrell has had a solid camp and he showed off strong hands and good speed on Thursday. He is worth giving a larger role too after his underutilized rookie season.

DL Arden Key 

One of the stars of the game was defensive lineman Arden Key. Key lined up inside for the Jaguars on nickel downs and both rushed against guards and flew to the edge on stunts. He was extremely disruptive, finishing the game with two third-down sacks and forcing the Raiders to lose 21 yards of offense. He will play a big-role as a pass-rusher this year.

S Andre Cisco

The second-year safety didn't make any explosive or game-changing plays, but he was one of the best defenders on the field for the few drives he was out there. He recorded two tackles, but each was a fantastic one-on-one tackle in space vs. a running back, preventing chunk gains on the ground from going even further. He had an elite tackling performance, something the Jaguars will need more of when the season begins.

OT Walker Little and C Luke Fortner

The Jaguars let their young offensive linemen get plenty of reps on Thursday, with right tackle Walker Little playing the entire first half and rookie center Luke Fortner getting plenty of reps as well. Fortner held his own after a few rough days of training camp, showing good awareness in pass-protection. Little, meanwhile, did a good job against Las Vegas' backup edge rushers and had a really encouraging game as a run-blocker. It was a step in the right direction for each.

Losers

QB Jake Luton

It was tough sledding for the Jaguars' offense in the first half. Luton has NFL starting experience after appearing in a handful of games for the Jaguars in 2020, but the former sixth-round pick wasn't able to get into a rhythm throughout the course of Thursday's game. There were some issues that weren't his fault, but he wasn't exactly sharp.

Luton finished the game 10-of-17 for 94 yards as the Jaguars were limited to check downs and passes before the first-down marker. Luton has struggled with his deep ball in camp and this was again an issue on more than one occasion against the Raiders. He had a big chance to showcase his skills, but it was ultimately a tough night.

LB Chad Muma

Rookie linebacker Chad Muma got a start on Thursday after the Jaguars ruled out starting linebackers Foyesade Oluokun and Devin Lloyd, leading to some extended snaps for the No. 70 overall pick. And while it is far too early to be concerned over anything any rookie showed, it is fair to say that Thursday is a game Muma will be better off putting in the rearview mirror.

Muma showed off his speed on more than one play, but the rookie linebacker also had some issues tackling and getting off blocks. Linemen were able to engulf him in their blocks while he bounced off a few tackle attempts after leaving his feet. There is a ton of potential there, but Muma has some details to iron out.

The run defense

While the Jaguars didn't have their starting defense on the field, it is still concerning how much ground they gave up against the run considering they had starting linemen DaVon Hamilton and Roy Robertson-Harris in the game. Hamilton especially had some down moments, failing to anchor at the line of scrimmage and getting pushed into the laps of the linebackers on a few plays. 

Ultimately, the Raiders rushed 33 times for 159 yards, popping off 4.8 yards per rush and generating several big runs. Considering the Jaguars have also struggled at times in training camp with defending the run and containing explosive gains, this has now become a major area of focus moving forward. 

WR Marvin Hall

Marvin Hall has been a consistent performer in training camp, but he already has a hard road to making the roster considering the Jaguars' other options at receiver and returner. Fumbling a ball and losing it to the defense like he did against the Raiders is exactly the kind of thing a player like him can't afford to do, and it surely didn't help his case that fellow receiver/return man Willie Johnson returned a punt for a touchdown before it was called back due to penalty.